Valve assembly



April 6, 1965 J. G. SMITH ETAL 3,176,714

VALVE ASSEMBLY Original Filed April 11. 1961 I 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS. JOHN G. SMITH ERIK R. SOLYST ZDMM AGENT April 1965 J. G. SMITH ETAL 3,176,714

VALVE ASSEMBLY Original Filed April 11. 1961 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 6, 1965 Original Filed April 11, 1961 J- G. SMITH ETAL VALVE ASSEMBLY 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 6, 1955 J- ca. SMITH ETAL 3,176,714

VALVE AS 5 EMBLY Original Filed April 11, 1961 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 ITOo- H II April 1965 J. G. SMITH ETAL 3,176,714

VALVE ASSEMBLY Original Filed April 11, 1961 I 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 6, 1965 J. 6. SMITH ETAL VALVE ASSEMBLY Original Filed April 11. 1961 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 QQNK 8 mmwmssz Eon B O 7 cm w a o g o h o o o o c 2 21 Q f o 3 m 3 8 n 3 3 N 2 8 i 3 3 2w am am 2 8 80 at S.

April 6, 1965 J. G. SMITH ETAL VALVE ASSEMBLY a Sheets-Sheet 7 Original Filed April 11. 1961 I II J. G. SMITH ETAL April 6, 1965 VALVE ASSEMBLY 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 & fiOOOOOOO 0000OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO REO OOOOO OOOOOOOO I I l I l I I IIIIIII EWBOOOOOOO I I l l l OOOOOOOO I I l I I I O 6 m 4OOOO OOOO OOOO OOOO O H%ZOO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO O IM O- O \O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O RRE"| O 2 5 78 2 I EEDH 23456 23-A5EWE$ Q UBOR MC EU 8 VNWRIE R L M T AEAO RE VVN OB H P A U V N United States Patent O 3,176,714 VALVE AdSEMELY John G. Smith, Philadelphia, and Erik ll. Solyst, Havertown, Pa., assignors to Burroughs Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Original application Apr. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 192,224. Divided and this application Apr, 20, 1964, Ser. No.

7 Claims. c1. 131-59616) The invention hereinafter described and claimed has to do with a valve assembly for use in fluid operated control systems for eifecting successive and selective pom"- to-point positioning of associated fluid operated apparatus. More specifically the invention relates to a fluid control valve assembly responsive to binary electrical signals to cause movement of associated fluid controlled apparatus to ordinarily arranged positions. This application is a division of applicants copending application entitled Positioning Control System and Apparatus," U.S. Patent Serial No. 102,224, filed April 11, 1961.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a quicleacting fluid actuated valve assembly for effecting rapid and accurate point-to-point positioning of apparatus movable by fluid means to a plurality of different and successive positions without homing between positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a valve assembly which may be operable in response to a predetermined code of binary electrical signals to cause fluid responsive mechanism to move associated apparatus to corresponding point-to-point positions in accordance with an ordinal arrangement.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a binary controlled fast acting fluid operated valve assembly for use in such a control system.

In accordance with the above objects and first briefly described, the invention may be employed in conjunction with a fluid control system and apparatus including a piston actuated mechanism wherein the position of the piston in its cylinder establishes the position of the mechanism. To move the piston, the opposite end chambers of the cylinder are connected to a source of fluid pressure to establish equal pressures on opposite sides of the piston. The invention comprises a valve assembly having multiple successive ordinally related ports which may open into the cylinder along the path of movement of the piston and may be operable in response to a predetermined code of binary electrical signals from a suitable source selectively to open a corresponding one of the ports to atmosphere thus to effect a reduction in the pressure on one side of the piston causing it to move in the direction of the open port Arrival of the piston at the selected position closes the port, and restores equal pressures on the opposite sides of the piston to stop and hold it against further movement.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic of a system incorporating the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are sectional views showing ditierent operational views of a solenoid operated control valve in the fluid pressure supply lines to the master control valve shown in FIGS. and 6;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a solenoid operated exhaust valve for the outlet conduits of the master valve;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the master valve;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but taken with the valve inverted from its position in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the valve as shown in FlG. 6;

FIGS. 8, 9, l0, 11, 12 and 13 are views of various elements of the master valve structure of FIGS. 5 and 6,

and taken along correspondingly identified lines on FIG. 7;

FIGS. 14 and 15 are sectional operational views of a single valve unit of the master valve structure;

FIG. 16 is a schematic of the master valve;

FIG. 16a is a partial schematic illustrating an expansion of the schematic of FIG. 16;

FIG. 17 is a perspective sectional view of the maste valve as taken along line 17-l7 of FIGS. 8-13;

FIG. 18 is a flattened-out view of the sectional surfaces of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 19-19 of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 20 is a schematic of the binary control for ordinally arranged valve ports.

Referring now more particularly to the details of the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment, and first to FIG. 1, it is seen that the system aspects of the invention have been illustrated, by way of example, in association with apparatus for positioning a magnetic transducer fill along a radius and relative to the surface of a magnetic disk 32 in a manner whereby the transducer may be moved across the surface from one ordinally arranged position selectively to another, as shown in broken lines at 34 and the arrow 35, for recording or reading magnetic information, as the case may be. It is understood, of course, that the disk and transducer are illustrative only of the many alternative applications open to such point-to-point positioning apparatus.

Movement of the transducer 30 is eifected by the shaft 36 to which it is secured and which in this illustrated embodiment extends axially through and beyond the walls 38 and 40 closing the ends of a cylinder 42. A piston 44- is secured to the shaft within the cylinder and separates the cylinder into end chambers 46 and 4-8, the size of which vary in accordance, with the position of the piston. A suitable source 5t of constant above atmospheric fluid pressure, such as, and preferably air, is in open communication with each of the chambers 46 and "ice ' 48 by way of conduits 52 and 54 respectively, and normally maintain equal pressures within the chambers, thus to hold piston 44 in a selected position.

To effect movement of the piston and consequently the transducer 30, means is provided to produce a pressure differential across the piston until it reaches the position corresponding to that desired for the transducer, then to remove the pressure differential. To this end a fluid operated master control valve 56 is fixed to the outer wall 57 of the cylinder. The bottom surface of the master valve includes a plurality of ordinally arranged fluid outlet ports 58 axially aligned along the path of movement of the piston and each aligned with a corresponding port 60 in the cylinder wall. While it is contemplated that a greater or lesser number of ports may be used, as will be more clearly understood as this description unfolds, thirty-two-starting with 0 and ending with 31-have been illustrated in thi embodiment as being sufiicient for efiecting the desired range of movement for the transducer 30.

In the manner more fully described hereinafter, each of the ports 58 selectively may be opened to atmosphere thus to effect a pressure reduction in one of the chambers 46 or 48 depending upon the position desired for the transducer. Selection and control of the port is by means of a suitable source of binary electrical signals, shown generally as the block 62, but which may be a binary output computer of any well known type, or other suitable well-known equipment, such as punched tape apparatus.

The binary electrical signal output of the apparatus 62 is used selectively through electrical conductors 63 to energize four solenoid control valves 64 through 67 for controlling the flow of fluid from a suitable source 68 by way of fiuid conducting conduits 7% through 73 and selectively through either of a pair of fluid conduits from each of the solenoid valves to the master valve 56, and identified successively from left to right by the numerals We and 74b through 77a and 77b. The binary output is also used to control'another solenoid valve 73 at the outlets of master valve 56 for controlling the porting of fluid flow through the valve to atmosphere, as more clearly brought out below.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the binary controlled solenoid valves 64 through 67 comprises a cylindrical casing till housing a piston 87. relieved in the center as at 84 for permitting free air flow therearound, and normally biased to the righthand end of the cylinder, as seen in FIG. 3, by a coil spring $6. With the four valves in this normal condition, fluid, such as air, will flow through conduits ill-73 and the b conduits of th pairs 7' 5 through '77 to the master valve 56, as indicated by the arrows 87. The a conduits normally are open to atmosphere through the lefthand end of the valve chamber and an aperture 35 in the end wall 89, as indicated by the arrows 9 1i. Energization of any of the solenoids 91 through 94 of valves 6467 by the control means 62 is eifective to pull its associated armature 95 and its connected piston 3-2. to the left, as seen in FIG. 2, to change the air llow from the b conduit to the a conduit of the selected pairs, as indicated by the arrows 96 in FIG. 2. As seen here, the b conduits are open to atmosphere by way of the righthand end of the valve chamber and an aperture 93 in its end wall 99.

The manner in which this air flow from valves 7 lthrough 77 effects point-to-point positioning of piston 44 by Way of master valve 56 will now be described.

With reference to FIG. 16, schematically illustrating the air flow to atmosphere through master valve 56, it will be understood that the numerals through 31 at the bottom of the figure identifies the ordinally positioned ports 58, see FIGS. 1 and 6. The vertical and horizontal lines fllltl and 102 indicate fluid passageways and ports respectively in the valve, while the circles 1G4 at the junctures of lines Edit and 16?; indicate tiers of valve units which are fluid controlled by Way of the conduit pairs 74a and b through 77a and b and which are here indicated as EVEN and ODD respectively; that is, the a valves are EVEN and the b ODD. Fluid pressure through the EVEN or a conduits close the EVEN numbered valve units 104 and fluid through the ODD or b conduits close the ODD numbered valve units 1% in the manner described hereinafter.

Also, as seen in this figure, the various conduits, ports and valve units form what might be termed a pair of valve trees generally indicated by the numerals 106 and 1%, each encompassing 16 of the ports 58, and each selectively openable to atmosphere by the control means 62 as hereinafter described. Both of these trees terminate at valve 73 which in its normal condition, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 16, vents only tree 1% directly to atmosphere.

I I In FIG. 4 it is seen that valve 78 comprises a cylinder lllltl housing a piston 112 mounted in the cylinder for reciprocal movements but normally urged to the right, adjacent end wall 114, by a coil spring 116 at its other end. Attached to the left end of the piston 112 is a shaft 118 which extends through the spring lid and the left end wall 129 to form the armature of a solenoid 1212 controlled through conductors or wires 124 (FIG. 1) from the binary control mechanism 62. Connected to the cylinder are the conduits llltla and ltltlb leading from outlet ports 127 and 128 (FIG. of valve trees 1% and 1&3 respectively of master valve 56. Corresponding cylinder outlet ports 129 and 13d permit-either of the conduits lltltla and liltlb respectively to be opened to ati .osphere depending upon the position of piston 11?. in cylinder in its normal condition, as illustrated, any one of the ports 53' in valve tree 1% may be opened to atmosphere through 4 port 12?, conduit lldtla, the left end of cylinder 11% and outlet port 129. Conduit 12and outlet port 130 are blocked by the piston. Energization of the solenoid 122 causes the piston 11.2 to move to the left to an extent blocking conduit 1 and outlet port 129 closing oil the fluid flow from tree and unbloclring conduit litltlb and outlet port 13% whereby a port 55 in tree 1% may be opened to atmosphere. De'energization of solenoid 122, of course, permits the spring 116 to return piston 112 to the position shown in FIG. 4.

looking at FIG. 16, it will be observed that the first of the ports 53 on the left of the row is identified as the 0 port which may also be considered the home port. Under normal conditions of operation, and when the binary control apparatus is not calling for one of the numbered ports 1 through 31, the 0 numbered valve unit in each tier is open to atmosphere through valve "73 and th piston will remain in the home position, or return there automatically from another position to which it previously had been moved.

Now to follow the system through with a specific example, and with reference to FIG. 1, it is seen that the piston 44- in the cylinder 42 is in its home position shown in full lines, and solenoid valves 64 through 67 are in their normal condition (FIG. 3) closing all odd numbered valve units in master valve 56, closure of the valves being indicated by the stippling in the valve circle 164. Let it be assumed that with initiation of operation it is desired to move transducer 3% relative to disk 32 to the position shown in broken lines at 34, which corresponds to the piston position over the port 58 identified as No. 12 in HG. 16. As indicated in FIG. 20, this position is effected by signals energizing solenoid valves 66 and 67 in TlERS' III and IV thus to condition them as seen in FIG. 2; that is, with their solenoids 93 and 9 energized, and each of the corresponding pistons 82 in the lefthand position wherein fluid pressure from source 68 may'flow through conduits 72 and 73 past the reduced central portion 34 of the piston 82, into and through conduits 76a and Tia to close the corresponding even-numbered valve units in the valve trees lddand 1%, thus opening the opposed odd numbered valve units. Fluid flow through solenoid valves 64 and 65 remains unchanged and the odd numbered valve units in TIERS I and II remain closed, While the even numbered remain open. This condition of the valve units in the four tiers opens two fluid flow paths through valve 56. These may be traced through FIG. 16 beginning at ports Nos. 12 and 28. In valve tree 106 it will be seen that even numbered valves 1.2 and 6a and odd numbered valves 3b and 1c will be open, and in tree 103 valves 28, 14a, 7b and 36 will be open. It will be understood that in this condition the stippling in the valve circles in TIERS Ill and IV should now be in the even instead of the odd numbered circles. No other path from any of the other ports 58 is open completely through valve 56.

As described above, with the selection of any port in tree 1% the solenoid valve 78 is in the condition shown in FIG. 4, that is, to vent only those open ports in the range 0 through 15. Therefore, it will be understood that only port No. 12 in tree 106 will be directly open to atmosphere through the path described above and valve 78, and that port 28 in tree 108 which is the only other port open through the master valve 56, is closed to atmosphere by solenoid valve 78. Fluid now is permitted to flow from chamber 43 in cylinder 42, see FIG. 1, through port No. 12 to atmosphere creating a pressure differential or reduction across piston 44 which will be moved to the right by the higher fluid pressure in chamber 46. When the piston reaches and closes port No. 12, as indicated in broken lines 440, the pressure across the piston is equalized, thus stopping and retaining it in this position. The transducer 3%, of course, has been moved from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in broken lines at 34. Other ports may selectively 5 be opened to atmosphere in a similar manner by the output of binary electrical signals from the apparatus at 62.

The binary electrical signal output of the apparatus 62 is used to select or vent to atmosphere a correspondingly numbered port 58. This one-for-one relationship is clearly indicated in FIG. 20. As seen here, the thirtytwo ports listed along the left side of the figure to 31 inclusive) are followed by their corresponding binary code valves or weight indicated at the heads of the columns. For example, port No. 1 is followed by a signal indication or 1 in the column under the binary code for a 1 with all the remaining columns indicating a 0 condition. It also indicates that for this port it is only necessary to energize solenoide valve 64 in order to change the valve units 104 in TIER I from their normal condition closing the odd numbered ports (FIG. 3) to the condition closing the even numbered ports. Correspondingly, any one of the other ports may be selected. Port 15, for example, necessitates energization of each of the valves 64 through 67, but not valve 78.

A decrease in the number of ports 58 may be effected by using only one of valve trees 106 or 108. An increase may be eflected by adding one or more trees, and additional valves such as shown at 78 with appropriate control from the program device 62. On the other hand, however, a decrease or an increase may better be accomplished by decreasing or increasing the number of valve unit TIERS. Elimination of TIER I, for example, would reduce the number of ports 58 by half. Adding another TIER, as seen in FIG. 16a, will increase the number of ports to twice that shown in FIG. 16, or 64. Still another, or sixth TIER, would double the number again, to 128. With each such increase, another solenoid valve 67a (FIG. 16a) of the kind shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, would be necessary. In this regard FIG. 20 includes an exemplary sixth column with a binary Weight of 32, and the additional valve 67a for controlling an additional valve TIER V for a total of 64 ports.

From the above it is seen that the system aspects of the invention provide a flexible, fluid-actuated control systemfor effecting rapid and accurate point-to-point positioning of associated apparatus movable by fluid means to a plurality of different ordinarily related positions in response to binary electrical signals of corresponding value.

Now in accordance with another aspect of the invention, the master valve 56 comprising an important feature thereof will be described.

As seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, the valve preferably comprises a substantially rectangular overall construction formed by four plates 140, 141, 142 and 143, which may be metallic or other suitable material, secured together in face-to-face assembly as by the shown screws, or other means. With reference to FIG. 13, it will be seen that the inner surface 139 of plate 140 is provided with a plurality of parallel fluid passageways 144, 145, 146 and 147 extending through the plate from left to right but terminating short of the right edge 148. The left ends of these passageways are provided with couplings 150 for connecting the conduits 74b through 77b to the odd numbered valve units 104, as described below. The passageways 144 through 147 are in open communication through apertures 152 with rows of shallow depressions 156, 157, 158, 159 and 16% forming the control sides of the odd numbered valve units in the four TIERS I, II, III and IV respectively. It will be seen that the two rows of depressions 156 and 157 are in open communication with only a single passageway 144 which is connected to conduit 74b, and that each of the other passageways is in open communication with only one row of depressions. This arrangement aflords a shorter and much more compact valve structure, for if all of the depressions in rows 156 and 157 were in one line the valve structure necessarily would have to be twice as long to accommodate them. In eflect, however, it may be considered that the depressions 156 and 157 are in one row as are the others.

Valve plate 141, on the side illustrated in FIG. 12, is similar to valve plate 141 shown in FIG. 13, just described, in that its face 141a is provided with complementary formed depressions 156a, 157a, 158a, 159a and 160a. These two plates, as seen in FIGS. 12 and 13, are rotated from their assembled condition 180 relative to each other about their top edges 1441c and 141a. Each of the depressions 156a160a is provided with a pair of apertures forming inlet and outlet ports 162 and 163, which extend through the plate to the opposite side 1411; (FIG. 11) where they communicate with vertically disposed grooves in its face which, when closed, as described later, form fluid passageways 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171 and 172, generally identified by the numeral 108 in FIG. 16. Sandwiched between plates 14%) and 141, as seen in FIG. 18 and by the stippled portion of FIG. 12, and completing the even numbered valve units 104, is a flexible diaphragm or membrane 174 providing the means for closing the valve units associated with these two plates in response to fluid pressure through the TIERS I through IV on the ODD side of the valve.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show atypical valve unit similar to all the others, and in its two operational conditions. As seen here, fluid pressure in the passageway 147a, by way of example, will cause the flexible membrane 174a to flex from its condition shown in FIG. 14 wherein fluid is flowing through the valve by way of inlet and outlet ports 162 and 163 respectively, and depression 16012, to the condition shown in FIG. 15 wherein fluid pressure in passageway 147a is suflicient to overcome the fluid pressure on the other side of the membrane and flex the latter into depression 1611b to seal the ports 162 and 163 and close the valve unit against the free circulation of fluid through the ports.

.Plate 142, as seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, is constructed similarly to plate 141. Face 142a thereof, as seen in FIG. 10, is provided with a plurality of vertically disposed grooves 164a, 165a, 166a, 167a, 168a, 170a, 171a and 172a. When plates 141 and 142 are arranged faceto-face as seen in FIGS. 7, l7 and 18, the grooves 164 through 1'72 in plate 141 and grooves 164a through 172a in plate 142 form the enclosed fluid passageways 100 (FIG. 16) cooperating with inlet and outlet ports 162 and 163 to interconnect the valve units 104 (FIG. 16). FIGS. 10 and 11 show these plates142 and 141 respec tively-rotated relative to their assembled relationship. In other words, the top edges 141C and 1420 of the plates are shown adjacent each other. In assembling them together plate 142as seen in FIG. 10-WOIlld be rotated forwardly and downwardly about its top edge, placing its bottom flanges 142a on top of the bottom flanges 141d of plate 141.

The other side 1421) of plate 142 (FIG. 9) is similar to the side 141a of plate 141 shown in FIG. 12, while plate 143 (FIG. 8) is similar to plate 140. Plate 143 is provided with parallel passageways 144a, 145a, 146a and 147a in open communication with the valve depressions 156a, 157a, 158a, 159a and 1611a. The left end of the passageways are connected through suitable couplings 154 to the conduits 74a, 75a, 76a and 77a controlling the even numbered valves. Between plates 142 and 143 is another flexible diaphragm or membrane 174a (FIGS.

9 and 18) providing means for controlling the fluid flow' through these valves in the manner described above, and completing the even numbered valve units 104.

With reference now to FIGS. 17, 18 and 19, it will be seen how the assembly of these plates and membranes is effective to provide the operation described above for venting a particular port 58 to atmosphere. In these views the membranes 174 and 174a are at rest with pressure equalized on both sides and therefore no port has been selected for actuation, but for purposes of illustration it may be considered that all valves on the ODD sidethe 'one side of the valve to the other.

saver/1a "5" left side in this view-are closed and the apparatus in its home condition with the port open to atmosphere. Looking at FIG. 18, which is a flattened out view of the sectional portions of FIG. 17, it can be seen that fluid can flow into the valve structure at the port indicated at the bottom of the figure as No. 0, through passageway 164, inlet port No. 162, valve depression 156b, outlet port No. 163, passageway 168a, inlet port No. 162, depression 15%, outlet port No. 163, passageway 170a, inlet port No. 162, depression 159]), outlet port No. 163, passageway 171a, inlet port No. 162, depression 1551b, outlet port No. 163, passageway 172a, outlet port No. 127 and into valve conduit 100a secured over port 127, and from which it can flow through the open side of solenoid control valve 78 to atmosphere. As just described, it can now be seen that an open passageway exists from home port No. 0 through the master control valve to the outlet 100a.

It will also be understood that in some instances fluid courses from one side of the valve to the other in venting certain ports 53 to atmosphere. For example, in FIG. 19 it can be seen that fluid from a selected port can flow from one side of the valve to another through interconnected ports 162 and 163 of plates 141 and 142, as identified'by the numeral 1'76 in this figure. Looking at FIG. 16, notice that the flow of fluid through ports No. 0 and 16 to atmosphere will be through only the EVEN side of the valve. Flow from port No. 0 will be through the valve units marked 0 in each TIER, and from port No. 16 through 'valve units 16, 8a, 4b and 20. Likewise flow from only two of the ODD ports (15 and 31) can be traced through the master valve without crossing from Tracing the others,

however, will show that at one valve TIER or another a cross-over from one side of the valve to the other is necessary. For example, fluid flow through port No. is through valve 5 in TIER I on the ODD side, from which it must cross over to the EVEN side to pass through valve 2a at TIER 11, then back to the ODD side at TIER III to pass through valve 1b, and finally back to the EVEN side to pass through valve be. Some of these cross-overs are shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 at 176, but the section is taken in such a manner that its course after cross-over cannot be shown. However, FIG. 19 may be considered typical in this respect.

Thus it is now clearly established that the present invention in addition'to its system aspects, also affords a low mass, quick acting fluid controlled valve structure which may be controlled. by binary coded devices for effecting selection of one of a plurality of its ordinally arranged valve ports.

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid control valve assembly comprising, a plurality of fluid flow valve units, first fluid passageways interconnecting said valve units in a valve tree beginning at a row of apertures along one edge of the assembly and at least one other aperture in another edge thereof whereby fluid may freely flow through said assembly by way of said row apertures, said passageways and said other aperture, and second fluid passageways connected to said valve units whereby fluid pressure may be directed to close selected of said valve units in a manner whereby only one of the row apertures is connected in fluid flow relationship with the said other aperture.

2. A valve assembly according to claim 1 and further including a plurality of said valve trees and wherein said second passageways are connected to each tree whereby only one'row aperture of each'tree is connected to its associated other aperture.

'3 A valve assembly according to claim 2 and further including means for selectively closing all but one of said other apertures whereby only one is open through a row aperture.

4. A fluid control valve assembly comprising, a plurality of substantially planar members secured together one upon another in face-to-face stacked relationship respecu tively, a flexible diaphragm interposed between adjacent pairs of said members, mating depressions formed in the facing surfaces of the members forming each pair and cooperating with said diaphragms to form a plurality of valve units in each pair of members, fluid passageways formed in the facing surfaces of said pairs of members and cooperating to form a row of aligned apertures along one edge of the stacked assembly and at least one other aperture in another edge, said passageways being interconnected with the depressions in the surfaces of the adjacent members of said pairs in a manner interconnecting said apertures with said other aperture whereby fluid may freely flow through said row apertures, said passageways and depressions, and said other aperture, and fluid passageways connected to the depressions in the surfaces of the outer members of each pair of members whereby fluid pressure may be directed to selected of said depressions to flex the diaphragm to close selected valve units in a manner whereby only one of the row apertures is connected in fluid flow relationship with the said other.

aperture.

5. A fluid control valve comprising, first, second, third and fourth substantially planar members secured together one upon another in faee-to-face stacked relationship respectively, a flexible diaphragm interposed between said first and second members and between said third and fourth members, mating depressions formed in the facing surfaces of said first and second and said third and fourth members and cooperating with said diaphragms to form a plurality. of valve units, fluid passageways formed in the facing surfaces of said second and third members and certain of which form a row of apertures along one edge surface of the stacked assembly and at least one other aperture in another edge, said passageways being interconnected with the depressions in the surfaces of said sec- 0nd and third members in a manner interconnecting said row of apertures with said other aperture whereby fluid may freely flow through said row of apertures, said passageways and depressions and said other aperture, and fluid passageways in said first and fourth members connected to the depressions in the surfaces of said first and fourth members whereby fluid pressure may be directed to selected of said depressions to flex the diaphragm to close corresponding valve units in a selective manner 7 whereby only one of the apertures in said row is connected in fluid flow relationship with the said other aperture.

6. A fluid control valve assembly comprising, first, second, third and fourth substantially planar plates secured together one upon another in face-to-face stacked relationship respectively, flexible diaphragm sheets interposed between said first and second and said third and fourth plates, rows of mating depressions formed in tiers in the facing surfaces of said first and second and said third and fourth plates and cooperating with said diaphragms to form a plurality of valve units in tiers, rows of fluid passageways formed in tiers in the facing surfaces of said second and third plates, one of said tiers of passageways forming a row of aligned ordinally arranged apertures along one edge of the stacked assembly and another tier forming at least one aperture in another edge, said tiers of passageways being interconnected consecutively V with the tiers of depressions in the surfaces of said second the valve units in selected tiers in a manner whereby only one of the ordinally arranged apertures is connected in free fluid flow relationship with the said other aperture. 7. A fluid control. valve assembly comprising, first,

ar /e314,

SI? second, third and fourth substantially planar plates secured together one upon another in face-to-face stacked relationship respectively, flexible diaphragm sheets interposed between pairs of plates comprising said first and second and said third and fourth plates respectively, mating de pressions formed in tiers in the facing surfaces of said pairs of plates and cooperating with said diaphragms to form a plurality of tiers of valve units in each pair of plates, corresponding tiers of fluid passageways formed in the facing surfaces of said pairs of plates, one of said tiers of passageways forming a row of aligned ordinally arranged apertures along one edge of the stacked assembly and another tier forming apertures in another edge,

said tiers of passageways being interconnected consecutively with the tiers of depressions in the surfaces of said second and third plates in a manner forming a plurality of valve trees where in groups of said ordinally arranged apertures are interconnected with one of said other apertures whereby fluid may flow freely through said valve assembly by Way of said ordinally arranged apertures, said passageways and depressions, and said other apertures, a fluid passageway interconnecting the depressions of each tier of depressions in the surfaces of said first and fourth plates whereby fluid pressure may be directed to selected of said tiers of depressions to flex the diaphragms in order to close the valve units in selected tiers in a manner whereby only one of the ordinally arranged apertures in each group is connected in free fluid flow relationship with one of the said other apertures, and means for closing all but one of said other apertures whereby only one is open.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,398,997 4/46 Berry et al. 91357 2,984,257 5/61 McCormick et a1. a 137-596.16

OTHER REFERENCES Gilovich: T.G.M. Technical Disclosure Bulletin, volume I, No. 4, December 1958. (Copy in 91-357 (Group 370).)

MARTIN P. SCHWVADRJN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FLUID CONTROL VALVE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, A PLURALITY OF FLUID FLOW VALVE UNITS FIRST FLUID PASSAGEWAYS INTERCONNECTING SAID VALVE UNITS IN A VALVE TREE BEGINNING AT A ROW OF APERTURES ALONG ONE EDGE OF THE ASSEMBLY AND AT LEAST ONE OTHER APERTURE IN ANOTHER EDGE THEREOF WHEREBY FLUID MAY FREELY FLOW THROUGH SAID ASSEMBLY BY WAY OF SAID ROW APERTURES, SAID PASSAGEWAYS AND SAID OTHER APERTURE, AND SECOND FLUID PASSAGEWAYS CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE UNITS WHEREBY FLUID PRESSURE MAY BE DIRECTED TO CLOSE SELECTED OF SAID VALVE UNITS IN A MANNER WHEREBY ONLY ONE OF THE ROW APERTURES IS CONNECTED IN FLUID FLOW RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OTHER APERTURE. 